Letran Knights

Letran Knights
Colegio de San Juan de Letran
League NCAA
Joined 1928-32, 1936-present
Location Intramuros, Manila
Team colors Blue and Red
Juniors' team Squires
Women's team Lady Knights
Seniors' general championships
NCAA: 9
(1979-80, 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2009-10)
Juniors' general championships
NCAA: 8
(1983-84, 1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03)

Letran Knights is the name of the varsity basketball team of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran. Letran College is a Roman Catholic institution and the oldest college in the Philippines.

The Letran Knights have won the NCAA (Philippines) Seniors Basketball Championship, on 16 occasions, the most by any NCAA team.[1]

Other sports played at Letran College have adopted the name Letran Knights for their senior teams. The junior teams are dubbed the Letran Squires, while the women's teams (volleyball and taekwondo) are the Letran Lady Knights.

Contents

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Name

Letran College joined the NCAA (Philippines) league in the 1928–29 season, taking a knight as its mascot in respect to its founder, the Spanish officer Don Juan Geromino Guerrero who was a Knight of Malta.[2]

Varsity Teams

Basketball

History

Letran College has been an active participant in inter-collegiate basketball throughout the twentieth century and into the twenty-first.

Pre-War

Letran College won the La Liga Catolica (The Catholic League) in the early 1920s. When Letran joined the NCAA (Philippines) in 1928, the Squires promptly won the junior's championship in their first season, and went on to establish the then NCAA (Philippines) record of three consecutive junior's championships. However, Letran College withdrew in 1932 after a dispute over an ineligible player in the track and field athletics league. Letran College later rejoined the league on 1936. Two years later, the Knights won their first senior basketball title under coach Jacinto Ciriacruz and team captain Felicismo Fajardo.

The seasons following this were disappointing for the Letran Knights, until the team achieved a breakthrough in 1950.

1950–1980

The Knights emerged as the top team in the 1950 season. Sweeping the first five games, the Knights were assured of a place in the finals, since the winners of the first round and the second round were automatically placed in the championship round. They won the next four games as well, winning the second round. Since they had won both rounds, and even though the San Beda Red Lions beat them in the last game, there was still no need to hold a championship round. The Letran Knights had won the tournament. The team was headed by 1948 Olympian Lauro "The Fox" Mumar and nicknamed "Murder Inc."[3]

The Knights went on to make it a habit of winning their championships around the turn of every decade. In 1960 they beat San Beda and Jose Rizal Heavy Bombers in the championship round (they would again beat Jose Rizal University in 1966). The final match came down to the wire as Basilio Go, for the Letran Knights, converted a jumper as time expired. In the 1970 season, Letran College beat De La Salle University, Manila, for the championship.

In 1979, two sides from the Intramuros district of Manila, the oldest part of the city, battled one another in the championship round of the tournament. This 'Battle of Intramuros' saw the Letran Knights and the Mapua Cardinals face off for the championship. Coached by the legendary Nemie Villegas, with Most Valuable Player (MVP) Ramon San Juan, Angelito "Itoy" Esguerra, Gracito "Chito" Mojica, Timoteo "Tim" Coloso, Arnulfo "Nonie" Robles, rookies Ed Ducut and Boyet Olano, Ted McKinney, spitfire Pedrito "Bong" Aninon and Team Captain Ed Baldomero, the Knights defeated the Cardinals to take the trophy for that year.

The 1980 season changed the face of the league and led to the future segregation of supporters, as fans of the Letran Knights, going for a back-to-back winning season, and those of the De La Salle Green Archers, got involved in a large brawl inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. The NCAA (Philippines) Policy Board banned Letran from the remainder of the season, and suspended the basketball tournament. When Letran was readmitted in 1981, La Salle disagreed and left the league (they would later join the University Athletic Association of the Philippines in the 1986 season).

Samboy Lim era

Following the troublesome 1980 season, suspension from the league and a victory for the Mapua Cardinals, led by MVP Leo Isaac, in 1981, the Letran Knights won three consecutive championships beginning 1982, under the leadership of Samboy Lim. Coached by Larry Albano, the 1984 team more than matched the success of the 1950 team, emerging from the championship having won nine games out of ten. It was under Coach Larry Albano's direction that the Letran Knights won three consecutive championships starting with the first in 1982. This was the first time in history that a team won three championships in a row and establishing a dynasty.

In 1986, the Letran Knights, now coached by Eddie Reyes, reached the championship round of the tournament, with the San Sebastian Stags winning that year. And in 1987, Letran College took their 10th NCAA (Philippines) senior title, with a score of 63–62 over the San Sebastian Stags. The Stags failed to take the championship stage to a deciding game by losing the second game in the closing seconds, when their captain, Paul Alvarez, turned over the ball and Dong Libed, for the Letran Knights, was able to bring the title back to Intramuros.

The 1990s

The Letran Knights were champions again in 1992. Coached by Rudolf Hines (a member of the 1970 championship-winning team) and led by Ronald PeΓ±a and Gilbert Castillo, they again played the San Sebastian Stags for the title. The Knights beat the Stags in two games in the final.

However, the San Sebastian Stags had the best of the 1990s. They won the next five championships (an NCAA record). In 1998, the Stags attempted to win their sixth consecutive title, but the Letran Knights, helped by Kerby Raymundo and Chris Calaguio, and coached by Louie Alas, denied them this honour and took the championship for themselves. Despite the Stags forcing an overtime in the second game, Letranite J.P. Pacheco drained two three-pointers and assured the Knights of a 2–0 victory.

During the 1999 season, the Letran Knights were mentored by Binky Favis, who later coached the Coca Cola Tigers. History was made when the Letran Knights became the first team ranked fourth to beat a number one side in the semi-finals. The team they beat was the San Sebastian Stags. The Jose Rizal Heavy Bombers faced the Letran Knights in the championship stage. The Heavy Bombers had last won the title in 1972 and the matches were violent and chaotic, as Letran supporters threw hopia (a kind of pastry) and all sorts of debris onto the playing court, causing the games to be delayed. Game 2 was delayed by half an hour when supporters of Letran College rained the playing court with hopia. When this game was nearing its end, with less than three minutes remaining and the Knights leading by 18 points, John Dale Valena of the Heavy Bombers punched John Paul Prior of the Letran Knights, leading to a brawl which extended outside the stadium. The Heavy Bombers withdrew from the tournament after the brawl and the trophy was awarded to the Letran Knights.

The New Millennium

From 2000 to 2002, the Letran Knights struggled as they underwent a rebuilding process, failing to become one of the top four teams in the competition for three consecutive years.

The 2003 series culminated with a play-off between the Letran Knights and the hosts, the San Sebastian Stags, who had won the previous two championships. The Knights, coached by Louie Alas and led by Ronjay Enrile, were aiming to break Ateneo de Manila University's record of 14 titles. The series reached a deciding Game 3. In the final minutes, Boyet Bautista, Aaron Aban and Jonathan PiΓ±era ignited an 8–0 run, turning a 56–58 deficit into a 64–58 title-clinching victory. Ronjay Enrile was voted as NCAA (Philippines) Finals MVP.

As a result of this success, Letran College joined the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) in 2003 under the banner of Toyota Otis. The Knights captured the third place trophy in the Unity Cup, after beating defending champions Hapee Toothpaste.

Emerging at the end of the elimination round during the NCAA (Philippines) 2004 season with a 9–5 standing, the Letran Knights faced, in the Final Four tournament, a Philippine Christian University Dolphins side who had a 10–4 standing, giving the Knights a twice-to-win disadvantage. The match was forced to a deciding game, but Enrile missed both of his free throws in the 4th quarter and the Dolphins won. The Dolphins went on to win their first NCAA (Philippines) title against the season host, UPHSD Altas.

Progress in the PBL was also a disappointment for the Letran Knights that year.

With Letran College hosting the 2005 season, the Letran Knights and the PCU Dolphins were considered certain to be amongst those contending the finals. The Knights defeated the Dolphins in overtime in the first round, and the Knights and the Dolphins finished 1–2 at the end of the eliminations. They each disposed of their semi-final opponents to set up one of the most widely-anticipated finals in recent history. The Dolphins shocked Letran College as they emerged as winners in Game 1. However, the Letran Knights, led in this second game by J P Alcaraz, won Game 2. The deciding Game was won by the Letran Knights, with Boyet Bautista winning MVP honors. Louie Alas won his third NCAA title and was awarded Coach of the Year.

The Letran Squires had to forfeit all of their games in 2005 because a player was found to have played in another league while the NCAA tournament was underway.

In the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) Heroes Cup that followed, the Letran team Toyota-Otis drafted former University of Texas-El Paso player Joe Devance, but the Knights finished last in their division. In the PBL Unity Cup of that year, the Toyota-Otis team, now known as the Sparks, beat defending champions Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in a best-of-five series, setting up a best-of-five Final encounter against the Harbour Centre Portmasters. Aaron Aban received a wrist injury which put him out of Games 4 and 5 and the Portmasters defeated the Sparks. Devance was named MVP of the tournament.

In the 2006 NCAA (Philippines) season, the Knights had a 6-0 start but were beaten by San Beda in the first round finale. The Knights won several more games, but with losses to eventual finalists Mapua, PCU and San Beda in their last three elimination round games, they were forced to face PCU in a playoff. The Knights lost this game and went on to lose another in the final four, finishing second runner-up.

The Squires finished without a win in 2006. Letran Knight Boyet Bautista won the Most Improved Player award, while Julius Wong of the Letran Squires was selected as one of the Mythical 5.

Louie Alas described the 2007 season as a "rebuilding" season, with Boyet Bautista and Aaron Aban leaving the side, after being drafted into the Philippine Basketball Association. The Philippine Christian University Dolphins were suspended, so there were only 7 teams in the competition. The Letran Knights won their first four games before losing to the hosts, the JRU Heavy Bombers. However, they were able to defeat the San Beda Red Lions, who until then had been unbeaten, and so finish on top after the first round. The side was beaten by Mapua and San Beda at the second round, however, but still finished second. Disposing of the Heavy Bombers in the semifinals, the Knights faced, in the final, the side that had once beaten them in their otherwise-invincible 1950 season. Anchored by Nigerian behemoth Samuel Ekwe, the San Beda Red Lions went on to win their 13th trophy.

The Squires had a very successful season, finishing in second place after the eliminations. However, they were defeated by the San Sebastian Staglets over two games in the finals.

It is also notable that the Knights rarely wear white uniforms in recent years, opting to use only red (as light uniform) and blue (as dark uniform; also light uniform if another team wears red) as its uniform colors.

The Knights Basketball Team Roster
Players Coaches
Pos.↓ #↓ Nat.↓ Name↓ Ht.↓ Wt.↓ Playing yr.↓ High School↓
G 4 Dysam, Franz Dionne 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
–
4th University of Southern Philippines
F/C 5 Cortes, Jamieson II  (C) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
–
4th Lyceum
SG 6 Alas, Kevin Louie 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
–
3rd Letran
PF 7 Alas, Kristoffer Louie 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
–
3rd Letran
SF 10 Espiritu, Victor Jay 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
–
2nd Carson HS
C/M 12 Belorio, Jonathan 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
–
2nd Southern City Colleges
PG 13 Cruz, Mark 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m)
–
1st Letran
SG 14 Lituania, Dan Carlo
–
–
2nd JRU
SG 16 Racal, Kevin Kent 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
–
1st Muntinlupa National High School
C 17 Almazan, Raymond 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
–
2nd Mapua
C 18 Cudal, Steven Zyron
–
–
1st Letran
PF 19 Gabriel, Joel
–
–
2nd JRU
SF 20 Pantin, Ramon Andrei 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
–
3rd
PF 21 Gabawan, Jamil
–
–
1st PLM
PF 23 Mendoza, Andrei 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
–
1st Trinity
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
  • Justino Pinat
  • Kristoffer Reyes
  • Allen Ricardo

Legend
  • (c) Team captain
  • Injured

Volleyball

Notable players

Notable players (Basketball)

FOOTBALL

History

Letran College had organized its own football team by 1911, known as the Letran Athletic Association. The team, nicknamed 'The Bohemians', won the national championship in the years up to 1917. Then, it joined the La Liga Catholica where it competed against Catholic schools. The Letran Booters joined the NCAA (Philippines) in 1932.

The Letran Booters won several titles in the NCAA (Philippines), most notably during the 1980s, when they beat a fabled Mapua team with Taiwanese and foreign-bred players. However, due to financial restraints, Letran College discontinued the seniors football team in 2003.

Championships

Notable players

Other sports

Letran was NCAA champion during the following seasons:

References

  1. ^ The Bedan, Vol. LXVIII, no.5
  2. ^ The League of Extraordinary Players, The LANCE, June 2005
  3. ^ Gacusana, N.P. (September 2005). "15 years of being on top; Knights bring back the glory to Muralla". The Lance. http://thelance.letran.edu/sep2005/s3_sep2005.htm. Retrieved 2011-02-14.